Happy Golden Days

 Look who helped me trim the tree.  Yes, the Belle costume is a daily thing.  For the longest time, we thought Tziporah was dressing up as an umbrella.  She kept say, "I want to wear my bih-bwella costume."  We recently realized she meant Cinderella.

 I bought several of these cute little trees for $5.99 at Ace Hardware.  They're not as scruffy as they look in this picture.  I love them!

 Fourteen years ago, I dug up this stocking in the springtime.  I put a note in it and gave it to Scott.  The note said, "Guess who made it into Santa's bag?"  There was a baby who was due on Christmas Eve, 2000.  Then I had a dream that Opa came and floated away from me, holding a little boy's hand.  The miscarriage was extremely early, and we all feel like it was Freestone, who couldn't stay because the body didn't materialize for him.  Who knows the truth, but that's our family lore.  This stocking always makes me sweetly sad, and comforted at the same time.

 In a way, the whole Christmas season is sweetly sad, in that it is so nostalgic.  The trimmings, the sounds, the smells, the lights, they all conjure up memories and emotions of a time past, a time you can never get back.  I can recall my childhood Christmases, around fireplaces and in homes and restaurants that are gone.  I distinctly remember the euphoria of being engaged to Scott at Christmastime, yet both of those youngsters are grown up now.  Even the early Christmases of our older children are but distant memories, and time moves forward.  It's good to pause once a year to retrieve us a taste of "The happy golden days of yore."

The good news is that as long as Tziporah is willing to wear the yellow dress every day, and metalic tinsel trees are on sale for $5.99, we still have some golden days to make our season bright.  So without further ado, pass the Coke Nog and turn up the tunes!